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| Words in the News
Monday 01 October 2001
Vocabulary from the news. Listen to and read the report then find explanations of difficult words below.
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Spanish Minister visits North Africa
Summary: The Spanish foreign minister, Josep Pique, is in Morocco for a two-day tour of North Africa that will include talks on the American-led coalition against terrorism, with the leaders of Morocco, Algeria and Libya. This report from David Bamford.
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| | The News | |
| | | Relations between Morocco and Spain have been at a low ebb for some months now, first because of a breakdown in talks over Spanish fishing rights and, more recently, over the illegal immigration issue. The gathering by the United States of its European and Arab allies in the wake of the attacks on New York and Washington has given the Spanish foreign minister, Josep Pique, the opportunity to come to Morocco without losing face, despite the recent highly-undiplomatic slanging match between Mr Pique and the Moroccan king, Mohammed VI. Later, Mr Pique goes on to Algeria, to discuss last week's arrests of Algerian Islamists militants living in Spain. After that, he goes on to Tripoli. The Spanish are making a great deal of their role in bringing the Libyan leader, Colonel Gaddafy, on board the coalition to stop global terrorism. In fact, they've been pushing on an open door, with the colonel all too willing to be seen to have shed his past links with dubious radical organisations.
DAVID BAMFORD, BBC, RABAT
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| | The Words
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| | | a low ebb
in a bad state
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| | | in the wake of
following
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| | | without losing face
with no loss of dignity, without embarrassment
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| | | slanging match
loud public argument
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| | | making a great deal of their role
emphasising their role
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| | | on board the coalition
have joined the coalition
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| | | pushing on an open door
a very easy argument to win
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| | | all too willing
very glad, eager
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| | | shed
got rid of
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| | | dubious
unrespectable
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| | Read about the country of Morocco | |
| | Other Words in the News archives | |
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